Synopsis
Sternomandibularis muscles were removed from slaughtered adult cattle immediately after exsanguination. On the basis of the density of diformazan granules deposited by a reaction for NAD tetrazolium reductase, approximately equal numbers of muscle fibres with high and low mitochondrial content were identified in serial frozen sections. In samples taken immediately after exsanguination both types of muscle fibres exhibited glycogen phosphorylase activity and were stained equally by the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction for glycogen. In unstimulated muscle samples 1 hr postmortem, no loss of PAS staining was detected. In electrically stimulated samples 1 hr postmortem, large numbers of muscle fibres with a low mitochondrial content but only some muscle fibres with a high mitochondrial content became PAS-negative. Stimulation-induced glycogen depletion was completely prevented by the interfascicular injection of magnesium sulphate solution. In unstimulated samples between 5 and 24 hr postmortem, some muscle fibres with a high mitochondrial content but only a few muscle fibres with a low mitochondrial content became PAS-negative.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bendall, J. R. (1973). Postmortem changes in muscle. In:The Structure and Function of Muscle (ed. G. H. Bourne). New York: Academic Press.
Burke, R. E., Levine, D. N., Zajac, F. E., Tsairis, P. &Engel, W. K. (1971). Mammalian motor units: Physiological-histochemical correlation in three types in cat gastrocnemius.Science 174, 709–12.
Close, R. I. (1972). Dynamic properties of mammalian skeletal muscles.Physiol. Rev. 52, 129–97.
Davey, C. L. (1960). The significance of carnosine and anserine in striated skeletal muscle.Archs. Biochem. Biophys. 89, 303–8.
Dutson, T. R. &Lawrie, R. A. (1974). Release of lysosomal enzymes during post mortem conditioning and their relationship to tenderness.J. Fd. Technol. 9, 43–50.
Engel, W. K. &Brooke, M. H. (1967). Muscle biopsy as a clinical diagnostic aid. In:Neurological Diagnostic Techniques (ed. W. S. Fields). Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas.
Hale, L. J. (1965).Biological Laboratory Data. London: Chapman and Hall.
Harriman, D. G. F., Sumner, D. W. &Ellis, F. R. (1973). Malignant hyperpyrexia myopathy.Q. Flexp. Med. 42, 639–64.
Jeffrey, P. L., Brown, D. H. &Brown, B. I. (1970). Studies of lysosomal α-glycosidase. I. Purification and properties of the rat liver enzyme.Biochemistry 9, 1403–15.
Katz, B. (1966).Nerve, Muscle and Synapse. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Martin, D. L. &Engel, W. K. (1972). Dependency of histochemical phosphorylase staining on the amount of cellular glycogen.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 20, 476–9.
Newbold, R. P. &Scopes, R. K. (1967). Post-mortem glycolysis in ox skeletal muscle. Effect of temperature of the concentrations of glycolytic intermediates and cofactors.Biochem. J. 105, 127–36.
Puchtler, H., Meloan, S. N. &Brewton, B. R. (1974). On the binding of Schiff's reagent in the PAS reaction: Effects of molecular configurations in models.Histochemistry 40, 291–9.
Schiller, H. H. (1973). Histochemical abnormalities of muscle in malignant hyperpyrexia (MH).Z. Neurol. 203, 265–9.
Swatland, H. J. (1974). Developmental disorders of skeletal muscle in cattle, pigs and sheep.Vet. Bull. 44, 180–202.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Swatland, H.J. Relationships between mitochondrial content of muscle fibres and patterns of glycogen depletion postmortem. Histochem J 7, 367–374 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01007022
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01007022